Container dispenser for nonflowing powders



O United States Patent in] 3,542,259

[72] Inventor Cesare N. Marchesani FOREIGN PATENTS l N g yi gg y. New J y 560,402 9/1957 Belgium 229/1 i i-5:3 r 68 Primary Examiner-Stanley H. Tollberg I 45] Patented Nov. 1970 Attorneys- Herbert S. Sylvester, Murray M. Grill, Norman [73] Assignee colgatemalmouve Company Blumenkopf, Ronald S. Cornell, Thomas J. Corurn, Robert New York, New York L. Stone and Richard N. Miller a corporation of Delaware [54] CONTAINER DISPENSER FOR NONFLOWING P WDERS 0 ABSTRACT: This invention relates to a container for 8 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

dispensing freely flowing or nonflowing materials by shaking [52] US. Cl. 222/541, the materials from openings formed in a corner of the con- 222/564 tainer'. Weakeningmeans in a vertically extending position are [5 l] CL provided in each of the walls adjacent a corner and horizontal Fleld of Search perforate means are located in each waL each intersecing th 564,565i229/Hi weakening means in that wall and extending to the corner [56] Reine cc d where they communicate. The surface of the container n s I 2 defined by the weakening means and perforate means form a UNITED STATES PATENTS pair of adjacent push-in" portions which when depressed 2,251,283 8/1941 Johnson 229/ l 7UX provide dispensing openings in the container.

52 i 56 46 l 8 "Eir. i: tllll 54 1],

mi n" ec 2 l I I I i l H l Patented Nov. 24, 1970 3,542,259

INVENTOR. CESARE N. MARC/1554M fioval/ SM CONTAINER DISPENSER FOR NONFLOWING POWDERS This invention relates to an improvement in dispensing containers, and more particularly, to a novel mode of freely dispensing portions of'flowable and nonflowing materials from a package or container. v

Nonflowing materials are those which, unlike liquids, grains, finely divided powders, flakes, etc., are not capable of freely flowing when poured because of their tendency to lose moisture and cake. Carpet cleaners, fertilizers, and the like are representative examples of nonflowing materials.

Although the packaging art is replete with examples ofinexpensively manufactured containers having dispensing means for freelyflowingsubstances, packagers continue to relyon either special or costly mechanical dispensers for the application and/or storage of nonflowing products or the well-known methods of storing them in widemouthed receptacles and sacks. However, theuse ofjars, sacks, and the like, are not without certain disadvantages. For example, glass receptacles are prone to breakage, while sacks which are ordinarily closed by a line of stitches cannot be resealed after opening. Also, if the extraction of portions of dangerous or harmful nonflowing product from a package is made with a scoop or other device, the user's hands may come into contact with the product.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide a container for nonflowing materials which will freely dispense said materials easily and without requiring contact by the user with the containers contents.

It is another object of the invention to provide a container for dispensing nonflowing materials that is inexpensive to manufacture and requires a minimum of space for storage.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a disposable container for nonflowing materials, which container serves the dual function of storing and dispensing said materials.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a dispensing container having dispensing openings therein which can be closed when not in use.

Still further objects and features of this invention reside in the provision of a dispenser container which is simple to use and capable of freely dispensing any nonflowing product, the dispensing means on the container being readily adaptable to any section or area of the container.

These, together with the various ancillary objects and features of this invention, which will become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by this dispenser container, preferred embodiments of which have been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, by way of example only, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dispenser container or carton showing the manner in which two adjacent corners of the carton have been fabricated so that the user can form the dispensing openings by depressing the surface defined by the perforated slits;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the carton illustrated in FIG. I showing the manner in which one wall has been fabricated so that dispensing openings can be formed in each of two adjacent corners; I

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of a single corner of a carton in which dispensing openings have been formed by depressing .the surface of the carton between spaced pairs of adjacent parallel perforated lines;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional view of a carton, taken along the plane of line 4-4 in FIG. 2, showing how a portion of adjacent walls has been depressed to form a dispensing opening at the corner therebetween;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a carton in which adjacent walls are fabricated so that with-fingertip pressure upon portions thereof the user can selectively form dispensing openings or different sizesor that alternate in size;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the carton of FIG. 5 showing the formation of the dispensing openings;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view ofa dispenser carton according to this invention wherein a rigid plate is attached to a portion ofthe wall between the pair ofhorizontal perforated lines;

FIG; 8 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the carton of FIG. 7 showing the rotation of the rigid plate inward of the corner;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of the carton along the plane of line 9-9 in FIG. 8 showing the direction of rotation of the rigid plate'from its closed position to the open position shown in FIG. 8; and 1 FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9 showing the rigid plate in its open position.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals .designate similar parts throughout the various views, reference numeral is used to generally designate the dispenser carton of the present invention. Carton 20 is preferably fabricated from hardboard or other paper product. Dispensing openings, or as will be referred to hereinbelow, push-in portions, designated by numeral 22, are provided at adjacent corners 24 and 26 defined by adjacent walls 28 and 30 and the wall opposite wall 28, not seen. Vertically extending score lines 32 and 34 are formed in walls 28 and 30, respectively. A pair of parallel adjacent perforated or serrated lines 36 and 38intersect score line 32 and a similar pair of perforated lines 40 and 42 intersect theends of score line 34. Lines 40 and 36 communicate at corner 24, and in like manner lines 42 and 38 also communicate at corner 24. When the user wishes to dispense the contents of carton 20, he merely has to apply slight fingertip pressure on adjacent surfaces 44 and 46 so that corner 24 is pushed inwardly of thecarton from its original position.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. I, a plurality of spaced push-in portions 22 are provided at adjacent corners 24 and 26 of the carton. For simplification in manufacturing 1 procedures, score lines 32 and 34 may be made continuous as shown rather than vertically spaced lines. In order to form spaced portions 22, the user merely depresses the areas between alternate pairs of adjacent lines 36 and 40, and 38 and 42, disregarding the score lines between the vertically adjacent dispensing openingsfThe contents, freely flowing or nonflowing materials, can then be shaken out through the push-in sections over the desired area. Thus, carton 20 can serve the dual function of storing and dispensing unpackaged or unmeasured nonflowing products. When the carton 20 con- I tains pouched, that is packaged or premeasured, nonfiowing products, the carton is opened at the top or otherwise according to instructions provided thereon. The packaged nonflowing product is then transferred into the carton, and its top resealed by methods well known in the art. The user then pushes 'in the dispensing openings and uses the carton as a dispenser.

Preferably, the carton or container is manufactured from disposable materials. However, permanent dispensers can be designed from plastic or related materials having the corner dispensing openings of this invention. It is also desirable that the carton 20 be a size such that its contents are completely used during a single application. If this is not feasible, push-in portions formed in a hardboard carton can be pulled or pushed out or otherwise temporarily sealed as with a suitable adhesive-backed tape.

Depending upon the type of contents to be dispensed from the carton of this invention, suitable variations can be made in the placement and number of push-in portions provided, in the carton s size and shape, in the dimensions, shapes or spacing of the dispensing openings and in the material from which the carton is manufactured. in the embodiments shown in the drawings, the openings are generally rectangular; it is possible, however, to provideother shaped openings such as triangular openings or even openings having curved shapes or otherwise. Referring to FIG. 5, corner 51 of carton 200 has disposed therein a plurality of push-in portions, designated by reference numerals 48 and 50, differing in size, which are'alternately spaced from one another. The difference in size will facilitate the dispensing of the carton's contents, when such contents tend to cake upon loss of moisture so that pieces of various sizes can be broken up and shaken from the carton. Parallel lines 52, 54, 56, and 58 defining push-in portion 48, and lines 60, 62, 64, and 66 defining push-in portion 50 are partially severed, either by perforations or serrations. The push-in portions 48 and 50 are shown in FIG. 6 in their dispensing positions after the respective pairs of surfaces 68 and 70 and 72 and 74 have been depressed inwardly of their original positions flush with adjacent walls 76 and '78.

Referring now to FIGS. 7-10, carton b is provided with a dispensing portion, designated by reference numeral 80 at corner 82, between walls 8 and 86. Portion 80 comprises surfaces 88 and 90. A narrow rigid plate 92, made from plastic or other hard material, is secured to surface 88 by adhesive or other suitable means for facilitating opening and closure ofthe dispensing portion 80. Plate 92 moves pivotally about vertically extending weakened line 94 of carton 20b in the direction of the arrow 98 (FIG. 9) from a position flush with wall 84 to one perpendicular thereto. The weakened portions 94 and 96 of carton 20b may be formed, for example, by scoring partially through the thickness of the wall or by perforations. After a portion of the contents has been removed by shaking them through dispensing portion 80 in its open position shown in FIG. 10, the opening may be rescaled by moving plate 92, in a direction opposite to that of arrow 94, to its position shown in FIG..9.

I claim:

1. A container having a pair of adjacent walls defining a corner therebetween, means weakening each of said walls for defining push-in portions capable of being pushed into said container for dispensing openings in each of said walls communicating with each other, and rigid plate means secured to said push-in portions.

2. A container having a pair of adjacent walls defining a corner therebetween, said corner having a plurality of openings defined by a plurality of superposed push-in independent portions spaced along said corner, each of said pushin portions defined by weakening means in each of said walls, and perforate means in each of said walls communicating at said corner and connected to said weakening means, said perforate means and said weakening means thereby forming said independent push-in portions to provide spaced dispensing openings in each of said walls in alinement with and communicating with each other.

3. A container according to claim 2, wherein said weakening means are vertically extending score lines in each of said walls, said perforate means being parallel pairs of horizontal lines of perforations, each of said horizontal lines of perforations intersecting said weakening means and being in alinement with a horizontal line of perforations in the adjacent wall.

4. A container according to claim 3, wherein each of said push-in portions are of identical size.

5. A container according to claim 2, wherein at least two corners include the plurality of openings defined by the plurality of superposed push-in independent portions spaced along each corner.

6. A container according to claim 2, wherein at least one corner includes a plurality of spaced push-in portions, each of said adjacent walls defining said corner including a plurality of first and second weakening means vertically disposed therein, said first and second weakening means alternating with one another and said first weakening means being horizontally offset from said second weakening means vertically adjacent thereto, and a plurality of first and second pairs of parallel horizontal perforated lines, each of said horizontal perforated lines in said first pair intersecting said first weakening means and each of said horizontal perforated lines in said second pai, intersecting said second weakening means, each of said horizontal perforated lines in said first and second pairs communicating with a horizontal perforated line in the respective first and second pairs in said adjacent wall.

7: A container having a pair of adjacent walls defining a corner therebetween, means weakening each of said walls in a polygonal shape for providing a push-in portion, and rigid plate means secured to said push-in portion for facilitating movement of said push-in portion inwardly of said container to define an opening.

8. A container according to claim 7, wherein said weakening means are vertically extending score lines in each of said walls, said perforate means being parallel pairs of horizontal perforated lines, each of said horizontal perforated lines intersecting said weakening means and being in communication with a horizontal perforated line in the adjacent wall, and a portion of said rigid plate means being secured to the surface between said parallel pairs of horizontal perforated lines in one of said walls for pivotal movement ofsaid rigid plate about said weakening means inwardly of said corner. 

